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"This battle will likely have a great effect on the outcome of the war. 2B and I---our battle will continue for some time to come. But that's another story for another day."

—9S at the end of Route B.

YoRHa No.9 Type S (Scanner) or 9S is the protagonist of Branches B and D in NieR:Automata, as well as one of the main antagonists and final boss of Branch C.

9S is a scanner type android who served during the 14th Machine War. He has an attack function, but it is an android that specializes in investigative purposes—a member of the automated infantry squad, YoRHa, who triumphs in hacking-based information collection.[1]

Contents

9S supports 2B in the Factory to eliminate their target. After supporting her as she made way through the facility , 2B escapes without having found her target. 9S informs her that there is another facility across the bridge, but that it's unusual for command to get the location of a target wrong. 2B then tells him that they weren't wrong, as she is attacked by Goliath.

A fight ensues, leading to 9S joining the fight, only to be slammed off his flight unit by Goliath. When Goliath is down, 2B makes her way to the top of him to find a mortally wounded 9S. He implores 2B to leave him to finish the mission and destroy the target. 2B hesitantly complies and takes his flight unit to defeat Goliath. After the target is destroyed, 2B and 9S reunite, only for three more Goliaths to appear and attack them. 2B and 9S are forced to detonate their black boxes in order to destroy the Goliaths, but their fates are left unknown.

9S was born on January 30th, 11942, having been deployed at 4:25 am, Bunker time. He was a newly manufactured Scanner model.

It is revealed that after detonating the black box, both 2B and 9S's data is uploaded back to The Bunker, where they are transferred to new bodies. But because there wasn't enough bandwidth and time, 9S chose to send 2B's memories back instead of his, causing him to forget everything about the previous battle with 2B (However, it is implied later that 9S only pretends to forget, as his memory is shown during the fight with the Soul Box boss. Among the various pictures there are those that depict his time with 2B before his black box detonation).

9S is next seen taking care of the boot sequence for 2B (which serves as an introduction to the game setting menu). Having been put in charge of her maintenance, he becomes 2B's partner and follows her to take care of the missions on Earth.

flowers for m[A]chines

Narrated from 2B's perspective.

Later, 9S is captured by Adam and hold as a hostage to lure 2B to the Copied City. Adam impales 9S to a wall in a cross-like manner, using this to taunt 2B, saying that "I prepared this just for you, I mean, after all...We all need something to fight for, don't we?". After Adam's defeat at 2B's hand, 9S is rescued and sent back to the Bunker for maintenance. He is absent until the final battle, but still attempts to help 2B in various ways.

At the end of A-route, while attempting to disconnect Eve from the network to stop him from receiving more energy, 9S's data is corrupted. After the final battle with Eve, 9S gradually transforms. Seeing no other choice, 9S asks 2B to finish him off, reassuring her that his back up data at the Bunker can always be uploaded in a new body again. 2B protests, pointing out that although it's true, it comes at the cost of himself at the very moment they are talking, but eventually gives in and carries out his wish. Holding 9S's corpse in her arm, 2B breaks down, crying that "It always...ends like this...". However, the machines' data transmission around the battle field soon stars resonating with each other and 9S intact consciousness is regenerated via the network. A-route ends with 9S - now in a giant machine body - holding 2B in his hand while she narrates:

"What is it that separates machines from androids like us? The machine has gained emotion...Consciousness. The final screams they summon on the edge of death...They still echo within me"

or not to [B]e

Narrated from 9S's perspective.

The ending is identical to A-route, except this time the two girls in red appear to witness 2B strangling 9S to death, and at the end instead of 2B, it is 9S who narrates:

"And so, the final battle with Adam and Eve came to an end. This battle will likely have a great effect on the outcome of the war. 2B and I-our battle will continue for some time to come. But that's another story for another day"

meaningless [C]ode

Choosing A2 will yield this ending.

A2 decides to battle 9S and near the battle's end, she cuts off his arm and hacks into his mind with Pod 042's assistance. While navigating the mind of 9S, Pod 042 continuously warns A2 that the chances of removing the corruption plaguing 9S are slim at best. A2 suggests she has a plan but Pod 042 strongly advises against harm against YoRHa units it supports, with A2 expressing admiration at the pod's loyalty. After discovering a slumbering 9S at the end of the labyrinth, A2 tells Pod 042 to take care of 9S' body while she tries to accomplish one more thing: destroying the tower.

The body of 9S is lifted away from the site by Pod 042 per A2's instruction. A post-credit scene shows 2B's Virtuous Contract embedded to a rock near a river bank with 9S's backpack hanging on it.

chil[D]hood's end

Choosing 9S will yield this ending.

9S fights A2 with severe malice and is almost overpowered by her. A2 hesitates as she recalls 2B's request and is impaled by 9S's sword. As A2 falls to the ground in a pool of her own blood, she stabs 9S who falls right beside her impaled on 2B's sword. He dies while attempting to get 2B's sword out of his torso but to no avail.

Pod 153 and Pod 042 attempt to evacuate 9S's memories. 9S recounts his past and his prior objectives. Feeling a sense of loss over his functions, he is beckoned by Adam to join them on their Ark. Realizing that the girls in red have decided otherwise in ending humanity, 9S is given the choice of going with the machine lifeforms aboard their Ark. If he doesn't, in his final moment 9S looks up to the sky and says: "So that's where you were...2B" before shutting down.

the [E]nd of YoRHa

Choosing to delete personal data and undergoing the risk of doing it will yield this ending.

Pod 153 announces the completion of the YoRHa project. As soon as Pod 153 asks to delete all personal data, Pod 042 refuses the directive. Citing the creation of new data, Pod 042 rejects the command and conclusion altogether and demands the salvage of data in order to bring about a new resolution. Pod 042 asks Pod 153 if they'd wanted the androids to survive as well, with Pod 153 at a loss for words due to a lack of authority on the subject.

Rebelling against authority, Pod 042 restores the data and parts to the deceased androids. The data encompasses all the memories they've experienced, including the memories of A2. 2B's and 9S's deactivated bodies can be seen lying near each other while A2's is seen sitting on the edge of an open window with a dove perching next to her.

According to the Automata Concert Script 5 "Farewell" the epilogue for Route E's ending, it is revealed that 2B and 9S is already completely reconstructed by Pod 153 and Pod 042 .2B is able to rebooted normally but 9S is unable to be reactivated. 9S's memory has become corrupt along with the data unable to be recovered. after explanation 2B decides to search a way to reboot 9S properly. After a time, Jackass is mailing 2B about him finding a hint to repair 9S memory storage in the collapsed Ark's Tower. In the collapsed Ark's Tower 2B is able to retrieve the remnant machine lifeforms' communication protocol. And in the end 2B with the Pod help is able to waking up 9S with complete memory.[2]

He is programmed with an emotional but kind personality.[1] He is shown to be polite and very formal with 2B, as he calls her ma'am (as she is his superior). During the setting menu tutorial, 2B has a chance to tell him that "there is something calming" about his voice. 9S will often voice his thoughts and feelings, particularly complaints about his job (such as being ordered around too much or finding the job tiring) to which 2B will quickly dismiss. As the duo become closer on their journey, 9S tries to get 2B to call him by his nickname "Nines" (although this is to no avail).

9S is shown to be a very dedicated and helpful partner to 2B. He always prioritizes supporting her over everything else, even his own safety. More than one time, he manages to save 2B in the nick of time from great dangers, even going so far as to jump out in front of Eve to protect her in the Branch A final battle. After 2B is killed by A2 in Branch C and being infected with a logic-virus, his mental state starts to quickly deteriorate, making him more ruthless, violent, and self-destructive, being driven purely by his desire to destroy A2 and all Machines. By the end of Branches C and D, he has become mad with grief, refusing to listen to A2 or Pod 153.

Befitting his title of a scanner, 9S has a very curious mind toward technology and new knowledge as a whole. Even 2B at one point comments that it is "getting out of hand". For example he gets excited when given a chance to come in contact with flight units (as they are usually too expensive for his class to even get near one) or expresses a great desire to study the machines at Robot Village. Moreover, if the player strays from the main quest path at the beginning of 9S's Prologue, they will get an immediate game over (G ending) in which 9S states that he can no longer hold back his desire to study machines and decides to desert YoRHa to pursuit his passion, leaving 2B with no support.

This unit's official title is Model S, Number 9. While this YoRHa member possessed offensive abilities, he specialized skilled at information gathering and hacking. While 9S normally had a kind personality, he began to exhibit hatred for A2 when she killed 2B-for whom he possessed an unusually deep affection. In a cruel twist, he also met end at the hands of A2.

Oh,uh, th-thank you!...Anyway, that takes care of the setting. (Ngh!? What the heck? My pulse rate is rising) (Hmm...It seems to be back to normal now. How odd) - Upon being told "there is something calming about your voice" by 2B

I mean, if you want to call me Nines, it's totally okay. - to 2B

Once we eradicate the machine lifeforms, us soldiers won't have anything left to do. We'll enter a new age of peace. And when that happens, we should go shopping together! I could buy you...I dunno. A T-shirt, maybe? Something that looks good on you. - Comment at the commercial ruin

9S acts as 2B's major motivation for returning to her home world during the Nier Automata collaboration event story. He briefly appears during the ending monologue to explain that 2B's chips were malfunctioning and that he had repaired her. After 2B relates everything that had happened to her in the Library, he postulates that she was merely seeing a projected simulation of reality that it is simply corrupted data. He seems concerned about her well-being but is happy to see her smiling. They resume their mission to return to the Resistance Camp after Simone's defeat.

If players pay 300 magical crystals to the limited-time Nier Automata gacha, they may have a chance to receive 9S/Paladin and the weapon that unlocks him, Cruel Arrogance. He is also the first male voice actor to appear in the social game.

9S's Job Story includes general summarizations of his role in Nier: Automoata and basic character attributes, similar to the descriptions in official promotional material. The last level hints at his complicated past with 2B, stating that he has had a long documented history of being assigned as her support.

9S states that he enjoys taking a bath, even though it is not required for android, describing that it "FEELS good".

While setting the voice recognition volume during the menu tutorial, if one waits long enough 9S will say: "Er, could you try and pick up the pace a little bit? This is getting embarrassing...". Furthermore, if one stays too long in the menu (5-8 minutes), 9S will states that he has reached his "max storage limit" and forcefully ends the boot process for the player.

Only 9S can hack into digitally locked chests, so he is the only character that can unlock Emil's secret boss battle.

It is revealed in the novella, The Memory Cage, 9S originally didn't possess Cruel Oath or any close-combat weaponry.[3]

According to Nier: Automata Guide Book, 9S' three sizes are B: 61cm, W: 53cm, H: 73cm. His height is 160cm (including boots). His weight is 129.9kg.

Whenever 9S self-destructs, his shorts will be removed, similar to how 2B's skirt would be removed.

Oddly enough, in the final boss fight against 9S, sometimes he can appear to be using his default model instead of the one with him having his blindfold removed and wearing 2B's arm but was later patched.

9S is the only playable character that is dead by Ending E according to the Automata Concert script "Farewell."

When he is captured by the machines, Adam asks him if he wants to "****" 2B. In most translations of the game, the censored space is large enough to contain words equivalent to "love," "fuck" and "kill."